Many recreation vehicles, such as the so-called "van conversions", require extra storage space for luggage and the like, and hence are provided with roof racks for luggage storage. Conventional automotive-type luggage racks have been used for this purpose, which racks employ a rigid ringlike rectangular frame for surrounding a luggage-receiving pocket. Racks of this type are desirable for luggage storage due to their strength and rigidity, and their surrounding confinement of the luggage or other articles stored therein. However, many recreation vehicles are also equipped with television and hence require an external antenna. Many such vehicles are provided with a wholly separate antenna for television reception, although the use of such antenna is undesirable since not only is a wholly separate structure required, but the antenna itself is unsightly and is readily damaged.
In an attempt to avoid use of a separate television antenna, there is known a so-called roof rack which also functions as a television antenna. This known rack, however, does not define an enclosed luggage-receiving pocket, but rather defines only side and rear rails which can be utilized for strapping luggage thereto. More specifically, this known rack employs a pair of substantially L-shaped rails having long legs which are positioned so as to extend in parallel relationship along the opposite sides of the roof of the vehicle, and having short legs which are positioned adjacent the rear of the vehicle and extend inwardly toward and terminate in slightly spaced relationship from one another. The free ends of the short legs are slightly spaced to avoid direct contact, and a conventional television transformer is connected thereacross to permit the television antenna cable to be joined thereto. With this arrangement, however, the front of the region between the rails is wholly open. Utilization of this rack is hence difficult due to the openness of the region defined between the rails, and hence the lack of security in terms of positively enclosing and restraining the luggage or other articles which are attempted to be stored and transported on the roof of the vehicle. Also, this known rack does not possess desirable strength and rigidity.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an antenna roof rack for a vehicle, which antenna roof rack overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages.
More specifically, this invention relates to an improved antenna roof rack which utilizes a conventional automotive-type rack wherein there is provided a rigid rectangular ringlike frame disposed so as to define and enclose a luggage-receiving pocket. This ringlike frame has a TV transformer attached thereto so that the side rails and cross rails of the frame effectively define two antenna legs or arms which are both relatively long and of substantially the same length, but are effectively insulated from one another to prevent interference in the functioning of the arms as receivers for television signals.
The antenna luggage rack of this invention includes a substantially rigid, rectangular, ringlike frame defined by right and left side rails disposed in substantially parallel relationship, and rigidly joined together by front and rear cross rails which perpendicularly interconnect the side rails so as to define and surround a luggage-receiving pocket. This rectangular frame is provided with suitable support posts, particularly stanchions, which are fixedly secured adjacent each corner of the frame for securing the frame in parallel but upwardly spaced relationship from the roof of a vehicle. Insulators are positioned for cooperation between the stanchions and the vehicle roof so as to prevent interference with the frame in its functioning as a TV antenna. Each cross rail has a pair of brackets secured thereto, which brackets are slidably but fixedly secured within elongated slots formed in the side rails. One of the brackets associated with each cross rail is of an insulative material, such as a plastics material, whereas the other bracket is electrically conductive, as by being of metal or of a plastics material having a metal plating therearound. The cross rails when mounted on the side rails are positioned such that the two insulative brackets are disposed at one pair of diametrically opposite corners of the frame, and the pair of conductive brackets are disposed at the opposite pair of diametrically opposite corners of the frame. A television transformer is disposed adjacent one of the frame corners, normally a rear corner, having the insulative bracket associated therewith. The television transformer has a pair of antenna leads projecting therefrom, one of which is secured to the respective side rail in close proximity to the insulative bracket, and the other being fixed to the respective cross rail in close proximity to the same insulative bracket. In this fashion, the rear cross rail and one of the side rails define one arm of the television antenna, and the other side rail and the front cross rail define the other arm of the antenna, these two arms each being rather long and of substantially equal length. These arms are in nonconductive relationship with respect to one another so as to permit effective reception of television signals. At the same time, the rack has a rigid rectangular frame which provides desirable strength and rigidity, and also provides an enclosed luggage receiving pocket to permit desirable confinement and securement of luggage within the rack.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.